For Atonement and Honor
by Crimson Celestial
Summary: *edited* Death. One of them will die, or maybe both. Siegfried has waited a long time for this, even refusing friendship with Hilde for this. Death. Death.


**Title:** For Atonement and Honor

**Written By:** Crimson Celestial

**Disclaimer:**Soul Calibur (Edge- IV) doesn't belong to me. It belongs to NAMCO.

**Author's Note:** This is my version of Siegfried and Hilde's ending. I also mixed Nightmare's ending into this. **SPOILER ALERT!!**For anyone who hasn't seen their endings in Soul Calibur IV. There are parts in here that are taken from all of their endings... YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. I hope you enjoy.

* * *

"Ugh," Siegfried was completely at a loss of words. He felt death laughing at him when Soul Calibur flew out of his hands, over his head, and landed behind him, impaled into the ground.

"You have lost Siegfried," Nightmare laughed darkly, Soul Edge lifted into the air. It was ready to kill, ready to take another soul, Siegfried's soul. Again. "Return to me!"

Nightmare's eye shimmered as excitement surged through him, Soul Edge was swung down, down onto Siegfried's head. Ready to take his head, and no one will stop him when he engulfs the world into hell fire. Nightmare was excited to see everyone's end and his power. He put all of his power into killing Siegfried, for good.

**CLANG!**

Soul Edge was knocked off to the side, forced out of Nightmare's hands. Landing next to Soul Edge was a long red and silver spear with a yellow flag on the tip.

"You," Siegfried's blue eyes went wide, his mouth dropped open slightly. He told her to stay away from him. But she said "Since i know who you are, I will not yield", and he defeated her just to keep her away and _still_ she followed him here.

Hilde stood feet away from the two, breathing heavily. Her helmet was gone and her auburn hair whipped around her face, her armor was dull and had cuts and scratches on it, and her left arm was bare, only the red sleeve was shown. Hilde was glaring at Nightmare, her short sword pointed at him, "I… must avenge… my people!"

Nightmare turned to face her, "Another soul that desires to be devoured?" Nightmare turned to Siegfried who took the chance to scan the area for Soul Calibur.

Nightmare turned sharply, jumping back and grabbed Soul Edge, "You will be apart of my final meal." Then he turned to Siegfried, who was still on the ground breathing heavily,"In the end," Nightmare said to him, "you will give into despair and darkness."

"So," she said quietly, grimly smiling at herself, "Monsters have no honor," Her head snapped up her brown eyes held hatred and determination. She went into her stance, she sneered at him and screamed, "For my honor!" Hilde ran at Nightmare, who was facing Siegfried.

"Ha!" Nightmare swung Soul Edge to the side aiming for Hilde's head. Quickly, Hilde blocked to attack with her short sword, the strong force threw her back. Stumbling backwards, she hopped a few times to regain her balance.

Siegfried took this chance; he grabbed Soul Calibur and sprinted to attack Nightmare, Soul Calibur lifted into the air and swung down. Nightmare quickly turned to Siegfried, jumping and leaning back he dodged it. Then he jumped forward and kicked Siegfried in the shoulder, breaking his left shoulder's armor. Siegfried, already tired (from the last battle that he nearly lost and this one) he jumped back giving him and Nightmare some distance to take a breather, while Hilde ran at Nightmare, shooting her sword at his upper torso.

Nightmare turned to her swinging Soul Edge horizontally across his body, like a batter would swing at a baseball, towards her. Hilde noticed this, she slid on her knees leaning back and throwing her head back, dodging Soul Edge. Soul Edge's eye glared down at her, _Death! _it screamed at her, glaring at her.

"I won't allow that," Hilde promised as she jumped up from her knees; in front of her was her spear. She picked it up, finally with both of her weapons, she turned to Nightmare and got into her stance. Nightmare was already running at her, "Come to me," he yelled in this demonic voice. He had Soul Edge lifted in the air, Hilde started running backwards holding her weapons in front of her to block.

Looking behind her Hilde stopped abruptly, she was two steps away from falling off of the top of the Tower. Nightmare swung Soul Edge at her block, knowing even if she did block the attack, she'd fall off and die and she would fall into the fiery pits of the Tower and burn. She'd be burned alive her soul would come to him, eventually and the same would happen if she didn't block.

Nightmare swung down, Hilde blocked it. Her spear flew off somewhere on the platform.

"Ah!" Hilde's eyes went wide as she felt herself falling backwards, off of the platform. "NOOOOooooo!!" Her voice faded off as she fell into the darkness.

"HILDE!!" Seigfried screamed as he saw her fall out of the ring, right to her death. No one could survive that fall, maybe if you were inhuman, but Hilde was _only _human. She was dead, she had to be.

Falling, Hilde saw the platform get higher and higher, as the two people on it disappeared. Quickly, Hilde used her short sword to stab into the side of the platform. Her short sword was holding on to the side of the platform. Hilde was holding onto her sword with all her strength, while her limbs dangled. She was literally hanging off the side of the Tower, and she felt her grip loosening already.

She _refused_ to die here, this was not an honorable death. Hilde needed to find some way to get out of this predicament she was in and back onto the tower's platform. She needed to help Siegfried.

Nightmare knew she was on the edge of the platform, he knew she wasn't dead. He looked over the edge of the ring, and saw her there. He smiled evilly, he _knew _it. Looming over the edge, over Hilde he laughed evilly, "I'll burn you alive!"

Sensing something, Nightmare spun his head to the side, lifting up Soul Edge to block.

**CLANG!!**

Nightmare was thrown to the side, falling onto the ground. Siegfried threw himself onto the ground, keeping Nightmare onto the ground as Soul Calibur hit Nightmare's chest, breaking the armor. Quickly rolling up, Siegfried channeled all of his energy; he focused, very hard. He didn't notice anything around him. The surrounding area felt dark. All was there was his energy, his charge, and his target.

Nightmare.

Soul Calibur was radiating a icy blue aura, mixed with his and Soul Calibur's aura. Siegfried lifted a glowing Soul Calibur into the air, as Nightmare struggled to get up, obviously injured by the sudden blow.

"Ha!" Siegfried yelled as he swung Soul Calibur at Nightmare, forcing his own body down with the blade, using all his power. As soon as Soul Calibur hit Nightmare, Nightmare turned into a frozen icicle. The ice froze Nightmare completely and ice shot all around Nightmare including the sides, like he was a frozen angel. Nightmare was defiantly _no _angel.

"**AAAAHUUUUUUUUGGHHHHH!!"** Nightmare howled his battle cry as he fell backwards, his body as stiff as a log hitting the ground and the ice broke on contact.

Siegfried was kneeling on the ground, one knee was up and the other on the ground as well as Soul Calibur. He used a Critical Attack on Nightmare, thus killing him. "Ugh," Siegfried breathed out as he slowly stood up.

He looked over his shoulder, to where Nightmare was prior to knocking Hilde out of the ring. She was probably dead, he thought, she couldn't have survived. "Everyone that tried to help me or that _I_ allow to help me all meet an unfortunate end, all of them, and I am sorry Hilde. I am sorry you had to die because of me."

He impaled Soul Calibur into the ground facing a dead Nightmare, "Our kind shouldn't exist in this world," he said, "Not _ever_ again." He was going to use Soul Calibur's power to freeze himself and Nightmare, killing him instantly. They would be ice statues forever and for all of eternity. Never to harm anyone, ever.

"So, you think that killing yourself is a way to atone for your sins," a faint voice said in the background.

Siegfried turned back to the side, his eyes were lying to him. Was Zasalamel showing him another puppet, like he did with Fredrick, his father? No, it was really Hilde, right? She had survived, he scanned her. She was sweating, her hair was messy, some parts of her hair was clinging to her skin. Her armor was dull and the red sleeve was showing instead of armor.

She was kneeling down and slowly stood up. She took a deep breath, calming herself down, wiping the sweat off her forehead with her unprotected sleeve, "I am lucky," she said looking behind her, remembering where she was a few moments ago, "I could have died, but I caught the side of the ring with my sword and I climbed up here." She smiled at herself, and then looked at Siegfried, her eyes were intense again."Do you think that you can atone for you sins by _killing_ yourself?"

"Fine, then _you_ kill me," Siegfried knelt down on one knee, bowing his head down, "Kill me and end everything, that started because of me."

Hilde tightened her jaw and released it; she walked towards Siegfried, picking up her spear on her way towards him. Nearly a foot away from him Hilde stopped and she pointed her short sword at his defenseless head.

Siegfried was ready for the blow, he felt the tip of her sword on his forehead. He was ready to die, he was ready for this, but she didn't hit him, Siegfried thought maybe she was hesitating.

No, I don't sense hesitation, he said to himself. He suddenly felt like how knights would when someone of royalty were giving him a pardon, not that he has been given one.

_Pardon?!_ Siegfried mind shouted in confusion. He was _obviously_ wrong, right?

"_True_ warriors," Hilde started softly, "They do not think of themselves, but of others." She lifted her sword as Siegfried slowly opened his eyes, looking up at her. Hilde noticed how confused Siegfried looked, but continued, "You have sacrificed everything to atone for your sins, and have shown true valor."

"So, I, Hildeguard Von Krone, proclaim that you, Siegfried Schtauffen, are freed from your sins," Hilde said sternly, Siegfried's eyes were wide as he stared at her.

"I am _freed_?"

"Yes," she smiled at him, "You have atoned, and all of this is over."

Siegfried dropped his head again, "I suppose," he smiled softly to himself looking to the side, "I suppose, this wasn't what I had expected, but…" he trailed off.

"But?" Hilde asked urging him to continue.

"But it's better than how I imagined it would all end. I thank you Hilde, I owe you for this," he stood, looking down at her. He was grateful; Hilde saw it in his eyes.

"You owe me, hm?" Hilde smirked a little, "Then be my friend, Siegfried."

Siegfried was taken back a little with this request, "H..Hilde," he said softly, "You have learned much about me, and still you ask to be my friend? _I_ could get _you_ killed."

"But the evil is over."

"But there still are many who want to kill me because of what I have done to them as the Azure knight."

"What you have _done_ as the Azure knight, not what you are doing," she said, "So," she forced out her left hand, "Friends?" She looked at him, her brown eyes cautious.

Siegfried slowly reached out to grab her hand, his fingers came into his palm and he pulled his hand back, he was hesitating. He didn't want anymore blood on his hands, but Hilde was right, the evil was over. So it was safe, right?

When he killed his father, Fredrick, Siegfried chilled at that memory, he was young and reckless, but now he was older and different, now he understands more. But, when he was the Azure Knight, he-

"Siegfried?" Hilde asked breaking his thoughts. Siegfried thought about what Hilde has said just a moment ago, _"What you have done as the Azure knight, not what you are doing." _Hilde's eyes were cautious, she was a little disappointed, he was going to say no again. Her eyes lowered and she slowly pulled her hands in to her chest.

Siegfried grabbed her hand, shocking himself and Hilde,"Friends," he said it more to himself then her, "Friends, then," he smiled at her. It was a small one, but it still was a smile and Hilde returned the smile.

Taking his hand back Siegfried asked, "Where are you off to now?"

"Back to my homeland, then I'll be off traveling again," she said.

Together they traveled, returning to Germany to give great news to the kingdom. From then on they'd disappear and return back to the kingdom. And eventually…

…Disappearing from History.

Fin

_What happened from then on has completely disappeared from history. There are no records tracing to what happened next, but that guess that is yours to decide. Whether, their friendship had ended and how it ended is your choice, or maybe the friendship became stronger and they fell in love making or not making a family. That is yours to decide. _

_This is the end of the Stage of History..._


End file.
